Never Tear Us Apart
by MinaSeraphina
Summary: The year is 1988, what has the gang been up to? Six chapters, one for each character. Fluffy happiness abounds! JH, ED, FL, KB pairings. COMPLETE
1. Hyde

_**I am re-posting all my chapters that are already written because I am seeing errors that are bothering me. I am also making slight revisions. Especially where the kids are concerned. The twin thing has been done so much that I am making the Hyde boys different ages. I hope to ultimately have this story finished within a week or two.**_

_**This story is being written in the same universe as my fic "Deserving", you don't have to read it to get this story but it would be really cool of you if you did :D. **_

_**This story will be told in six parts, one for each character. It takes place in 1988 and is glimpses into the gang's lives, it follows with all the events of Season 8 but it is happy so don't fear! It's fluffy and random but I hope you like it!**_

_**XOXO**_

_**BloodyLyra**_

Disclaimer: I don't own That 70's Show! Wish I did! Tear

**Chapter One: HYDE**

It was very late one Wednesday night in the summer of 1988.

Steven Hyde was driving back from Milwaukee to his home in Point Place, Wisconsin. He had been in Milwaukee for the last week with his father, W.B. Barnett.

W.B had called Hyde a week ago requesting him to make the drive to Milwaukee. W.B. hadn't told him what he wished to discuss with him, saying it would have to wait until he could see him. Hyde would have been lying if he said he wasn't concerned, and he had shared his concerns with his wife but she had reassured him that he was overreacting.

"Well, why couldn't he just tell me over the phone? It's bad news, I just know it." Hyde said, pacing the bedroom the night before he was to leave.

His wife gave him a look of exasperation from where she sat at her vanity, "Steven, you're being paranoid. Now sit down you are making me dizzy just watching you… and you're gonna put a rut in my carpet."

Hyde stopped pacing and dropped to sit at the edge of their bed, "I'm not being paranoid, Jackie. I'm being vigilant, there's a difference."

Jackie shook her head as she stood up, "You got to learn to relax, baby."

She smiled as she approached Hyde. He eyed her as she came towards him, he had failed to notice when he first entered their bedroom that evening that the lights were dim and she was wearing a very revealing yellow silk baby doll chemise.

He noticed now.

She sat in his lap and wound her arms around his neck. Her long, silky, raven coloured hair brushed his face as she nuzzled his neck. Hyde's hands moved up her back and pulled her tightly to him.

"I think I'm gonna need a little help relaxing, doll," he whispered huskily in her ear, sending shivers down his beautiful wife's spine.

"That's what I'm here for," she giggled. She pushed him on to his back and proceeded to help her husband relax.

Hyde smiled at the memory of that night. Even after all their years together, sex with Jackie had not lost its appeal and at this point he would be seriously surprised if it ever did. Not just because she was still as beautiful today as the day he'd realized she was the one for him, but because she had given to him everything that he could ever want, a family, a life, and true love. Things he didn't know he wanted until he met Jackie.

His trusty El Camino's headlights rolled past the sign welcoming him to Point Place. He and Jackie had decided to stay in Point Place after they had their first child.

Hyde had been managing Grooves and Jackie had been taking classes at the community college working on her degree in journalism when their first daughter was born.

Jackie decided at that point that she didn't want to raise her children in a huge, dirty city and that Point Place was the ideal place to raise their family. Hyde didn't disagree, he wasn't disappointed that she didn't want to leave and besides, he did whatever his wife said. If Jackie had told him that they were packing up and moving to Borneo, he would do it. They bought a modest 3-bedroom house in the same neighborhood as the Forman's, the place where their lives truly began.

It wasn't exactly what either of them had planned but Jackie insisted that it didn't matter where they were as long as they were together. He agreed but secretly he wished he could at least give her the house she always dreamed of.

He was about five miles from home and reminding himself that things were about to change he sped up a little. Jackie was going to flip her lid when he told her about his meeting with W.B.

He pulled his El Camino into the driveway three minutes later. Quietly as he could he opened the front door and hung up his keys and pulled off his jacket dropping it on the floor by the coat closet. Jackie would probably yell at him for that later but then again once he told her his news she just might over look it.

He walked down the hall towards their bedroom, the light of the TV could be seen through the crack of the half closed door. Hyde pushed it open. His eyes went immediately to the bed and he chuckled.

The California King sized bed was the only outrageously expensive luxury that Jackie had insisted upon and on more than one occasion Hyde had been very grateful for that. Not only did he and his wife get extraordinary use out of when they were by themselves but it was also functional in that it comfortably held all the people that were currently asleep in it.

Hyde kicked his shoes off and pushed them under the bed with his foot. In the light of the flickering TV he smiled and quietly surveyed the contents of his bed. They must have been having a slumber party; bowls of popcorn, candy wrappers, and empty bottles of soda littered the floor next to the bed. The Hyde family had a tradition of having at least one family "slumber party" a week. Basically, they listened to music, watched movies, ate junk food, and played video and board games all night… or until the kids fell asleep.

Jackie was lying in the middle of the bed, she had her old homecoming queen crown still perched on her head, and she was wearing the pink silky pajamas that she had bought to match both of their girls especially for their slumber parties. Jackie still required that even a party with her children be coordinated.

Their eighteen-month-old daughter, Allie, lay next to her mother's right side, in the matching pink pajamas, a tutu, and a princess crown balanced on her dark curls, looking exactly like her mother in miniature. She had a silver star wand clutched in her hand.

Seven-year-old Sophie was laying, as she usually did, across the foot of the bed. Hyde knew he was in trouble the minute Sophie had been born; she was a carbon copy of her mother in looks but with her father's snarky attitude. She was wearing her pink pajamas but was clutching a slightly worn black teddy bear her father had brought her when she was born. It wore a tiny Led Zeppelin t-shirt and Sophie refused to go anywhere without it.

Nathan, their mild mannered five-year-old, was cuddled against his mother's back. Nathan looked just like his dad had that that age, light blue eyes and lots of curly blonde hair. In temperament, he was by far the quietest and most mellow of all their children.

And finally, Dylan, four-years-old, and just as much a hellion as either one of his parents. His dark-haired head lay next to Sophie's with his feet in between Jackie and Allie. Dylan was the only one of their children to inherit the same mismatched blue and green eyes as their mother.

Hyde imagined that the boys missed him at this slumber party. When Hyde was there, he and the boys played videos games and Transformers. Hyde had the boys very well versed in "good music" and they usually dominated the stereo at the family's slumber parties while they let the girls choose the movies. Sophie sometimes played with them instead of doing the girly things that Jackie and Allie loved so much.

Hyde was very proud of all his children. He knew his girls had them wrapped around their fingers and he was at their beck and call. With the boys he thoroughly enjoyed being their leader in plots to drive their mother crazy.

Hyde smiled down at his family. If someone had told him back in 1978 when he and Jackie had first gotten together that they would one day be married with four kids, he would have called them crazy and no doubt would have ran for the hills. But now, he couldn't imagine how he had survived without them. He brushed a curl off Sophie's cheek and kissed her on the forehead.

Crossing to the bathroom, he closed the door and flipped on the switch. He quickly changed into his pajamas and brushed his teeth. After he was done and shut off the light he passed by the TV and flipped it off. Moving the pillow that Jackie had put on the other side of Allie to keep her from rolling off the bed, Hyde climbed in bed and kissed Allie's cheek as she turned to cuddle him.

"Hi, baby," he heard Jackie whisper in the dark, "How did things go with your dad?"

"Where you awake this whole time?" Hyde asked. He had such a sneaky wife.

"I heard your car pull up, you are so cute watching us while we sleep," she giggled. She shifted closer so she could see his face in the moonlight.

"Shut your pie hole, Jackie," Hyde said, reaching for her face. The couple leaned carefully over Allie as they shared a kiss.

"So?" prompted Jackie.

"Well," Hyde sighed, "W.B. decided he wants to retire and so he's getting rid of Grooves."

Jackie's mouth fell open.

"Oh no, Steven. So what's gonna happen?" Jackie asked, suddenly very worried for her family's welfare. She didn't make much at the radio station where she worked for Donna as the news DJ on Donna's morning show and the family relied heavily on Steven's salary from Grooves.

"W.B said I have two choices, I can take over the whole chain for him-"

"But then we'd have to move! The kids and I will never see you! Steven-" Jackie began to panic.

"Jackie, what'd I say about that pie hole?" Hyde said with a smile. "Let me finish. He said I could take over… or I could sign on the dotted line and I get half of the money that an even bigger chain of record stores is willing to pay to buy us out. Half would go to me and the other to Angie."

Jackie was stunned for a second, "But… Steven, I know how you feel about corporate America and the government and all your conspiracy theories…"

"First of all, Jacks, they aren't theories. Second, my family's well being matters much more to me than being too proud to bite the bullet and give in to the man… just this once," he said immediately, holding up one finger. "Angie and I signed the papers and met with lawyers all week. It's all done."

"Oh, Steven!" she said with a breathless squeak. "You're the sweetest man alive." She leaned over and kissed him again, "But what does this mean for us?"

"It means that we'll be able to build that dream house I know you've had in your pretty little head for years."

"Aw, you think I'm pretty, Steven."

"You're beautiful, baby."

She kissed him again, a little more enthusiastically, causing Allie to stir in her sleep as Jackie's hair brushed her face. Jackie sat up all the way and gently rolled Allie over towards Nathan. She carefully climbed over Dylan's feet and took the place her daughter had occupied and snuggled into the warm embrace of her husband.

"Really, Steven? We'll be able to get a bigger house?"

"Really, doll," he said kissing her neck and breathing in her delicious scent.

"And what about work? What are you going to do?"

"Well, I thought about it, and you know how Kelso and Fez having talking for the past couple of years about starting up their own business? I was thinking about bringing my money into it."

"The restaurant idea? Wait… how much money are you getting out of this exactly?" Jackie asked. Hyde laughed quietly, he could tell she had been dying to ask the question from the start but had been holding back.

"Well, a restaurant slash_ bar_ more specifically. You know something classy to jazz up this town," he wriggled his eyebrows at her, "And as for the money… well, let's just say, it's plenty to start this up."

Jackie raised an eyebrow.

"And buy you a new wardrobe."

Jackie broke into a smile, "Wow, Steven. I mean I know you have been unhappy with Grooves since the music this decade has turned out to not be in your taste-"

"It sucks, Jacks."

"_Anyway_, this is wonderful news," she whispered excitedly, "right?"

"Yeah, it is. I just want make you and the kids happy and comfortable."

"We are, baby."

"And staying with the station is entirely up to you."

"I will. I like it there and working with Donna is great. I think I'd go crazy if I didn't have a job to go to and hide from your evil children sometimes," she teased.

"Hey, they aren't evil… they have character," he stated as he kissed her neck.

"Yes, yes, they do."

"So I think I'll talk to Fez and Kelso tomorrow and see about getting this rolling."

"They're going to be so excited- Steven! You're going to be a restaurant owner! That's so foxy." She rolled so that she was lying on top of him.

Hyde smirked, "I'm always foxy, baby." He kissed her again.

"And modest, too," she said with a smile, "Didn't I tell you not to worry?"

He nodded, "Yes, you did, baby."

"Which means?"

Hyde rolled his eyes, "You were right."

"And?"

"And I was wrong."

Jackie grinned again and rolled back over and laid her head back on her pillow, "I love you so much, baby. I'm so glad things have worked out the way you want them to."

Hyde smiled and once again surveyed the bed full of their children and his beautiful wife, before lying down and pulling Jackie to him, "Me too, Jacks, I love you."

UP NEXT: FEZ

_**AN: Please review and let me know if I should continue, do you guys like the idea? BTW I had Hyde decide on the restaurant idea because as some of you might know Danny Masterson, Wilmer Valderamma, and Ashton Kutcher all invested in a restaurant that Ashton opened in Reno in real life.**_


	2. Fez

_**Hi everyone! I got some great reviews on the last chapter, thank you guys so very much! Here is our next installment!!**_

_**XOXO **_

_**BloodyLyra**_

Chapter Two: FEZ 

"Oh, happy day!" hollered a considerably excited Fez, as he replaced the handset on the phone in his living room.

The foreign man jumped up and on to the couch and began to bounce up and down happily.

"Fez! What are you doing?" came the half irritated, half amused voice of his wife as she stood in the living room door way with her arms crossed on top of her very pregnant belly.

"Oh! You'll never believe it, my gumdrop! I just got off the phone with Kelso, who just got off the phone with Hyde, who said that he wants to start up the restaurant with us! No more styling old ladies hair for Fez!" he said in a rush, jumping off the couch and crossing to his wife, Laurie.

Fez and Laurie had decided shortly into 1980 that not only did they still share the common interest of having their "needs" fulfilled, but they also shared the same feeling that they should marry again and give their needs what they wanted most: each other.

Fez had ended his fledgling relationship with Jackie shortly after New Year's Day 1980. Both had realized that their relationship would progress to nothing beyond best friends. Neither one had hard feelings and Jackie had fully supported Fez when he decided to propose to Laurie. She had even helped him plan the elaborate scheme, which included a trip to Funland and a romantic proposal on top of the Ferris wheel.

They were married in November 1980 and true to form, Laurie had already been eight months pregnant with their daughter. Erin was born on Christmas Day that year. The entire gang plus Kitty, Red, and Bob had spent Christmas at the hospital waiting for the newest member of their family.

In his reminiscences of that night Fez could distinctly recall that Jackie and Hyde had been suspiciously absent for most of the night, reappearing just before Erin was introduced to the gang. He never asked Jackie or Hyde about what happened that night, however, and it was probably for the best, things worked out fine without the gang's interference.

The couple had lived with Forman's until Fez was promoted at the hair salon just before Erin's first birthday. Laurie had returned to beauty school and worked in the same salon as Fez as the lead manicurist. After the promotion, Fez had put a down payment on a lovely three-bedroom townhouse in a new development in town. He had surprised Laurie with it for Christmas and they moved-in in time to celebrate the New Year.

Fez and Laurie had shared a very good marriage for the past eight years and were finally expecting their second child after a period of time when Laurie's 'lady parts' doctor had been unsure if she would be able to have any more children. She was diagnosed with ovarian cysts in 1984 and after their removal the outlook for childbearing wasn't very good. It took some time but as Fez proudly announced: "his team from the inseam had made it upstream!" Their son would be born in less than a month.

Fez and Kelso had been hoping to open a restaurant for the past two years. Both were becoming increasingly unhappy with their current occupations and had wanted to spend more time with their families. Fez had been putting aside money each month to help pay for the start up it would take to get their dream realized. And now with this news that Hyde wanted in the deal and would be bringing in some considerable money was just the thing to bring Fez up higher than a sugar rush.

"Oh, Fezzie that's great! But what about Grooves? Isn't Hyde going to work there anymore?" she asked, as Fez grabbed her hands and kissed them.

"I do not know, Kelso, just said that Hyde wanted in," he said with a puzzled expression, "I'm meeting them tomorrow to talk about, I guess I'll find out then. Oh, Laurie, I am so happy!"

Laurie smiled and leaned in to kiss her husband. Fez responded in kind, gently dipping his pregnant wife back as they kissed.

"Ewwwww! Mom! Dad! I don't want to see that!"

Eight-year-old Erin stood with her hands on her hips, looking at her parents with disgust.

"Well, then you're living in the wrong house, kiddo," Fez said affectionately, as he righted his wife.

Erin rolled her dark eyes, "Daddy, I'm going to be late for ballet!"

"Yeah, you better get her there, Fezzie," Laurie said, walking towards her daughter and brushing the girl's dark blonde hair out of her dark eyes, "They are posting the parts for their recital today."

"Yeah, and I just have to know if I beat Betsy for the Swan Princess!" Erin whined, "That'll burn!"

Laurie shared a smirk with Fez. The gang's kids had been taught well on the fine art of burning. It was Hyde really who had started it all with Sophie. He reasoned that their kids were an extension of themselves so they needed to be able to burn with the best of them.

"Alright then, sugar pie," Fez said, "Go get your bag."

Erin ran out of the room.

"I'll probably see Jackie there, maybe she can tell me what's going on with Hyde and restaurant idea," he said as he grabbed his keys.

Laurie nodded, "So Jackie is still making Sophie go to ballet? She hates it!"

"Yes, but she promised Sophie if she does this one recital then she'll let her choose whatever she wants to do afterwards."

"And what does Sophie want to do?"

"Guitar. Her first choice was drums, but Jackie nixed that one quick."

Laurie laughed, "Hyde's influence I'm sure. Poor Soph, she'll have a rough time in high school with who she has for a mom."

"Yes, Jackie is still quite bitchy isn't she? But so is Donna… and so are you… especially since you are pregnant-"

Laurie smacked him on the arm.

"Ow! You see what I mean? But you know…" Fez raised an eyebrow, "I like the rough stuff."

Laurie giggled and kissed him on the cheek, "I love you, Fezzie."

"And I love you, queen of my heart," Fez said placing a hand on their unborn child and nuzzling his wife's neck.

Erin walked up just then. "Ahem! Daddy, I'm ready."

"Then let's go, my swan princess."

"Good luck, honey. And remember to be nice to Betsy… at least when the teacher is watching," Laurie told Erin as she gave her a kiss.

Erin grinned, "Okay, Mommy." The little girl reached out and patted her mother's stomach, "Bye, baby."

"Oh and Fez, will you stop at the A&P on your way back? I have a craving for chips and chocolate syrup."

Fez looked surprised, "Together?"

Laurie raised an eyebrow and motioned to her belly.

"A girl after my own heart," he said with a smile, "Yummy!"

UP NEXT: DONNA

_**AN: I had a hard time with this one! I hope you guys like it anyway, please review!**_


	3. Donna

_**I'm sorry the update took so long! But here it is finally! Now I am not super happy with this one either. Delving into a little of Donna's world was hard so it's a very dialogue-y chapter, I'll have more of her in Eric's chapter obviously so I hope you like it anyway!**_

Chapter Three: DONNA

At the same time that Fez was rushing Erin off to ballet practice, Donna Pinciotti-Forman was arriving at her in-laws house. She brought with her three-year-old Jeremy, to stay overnight with his grandparents. Eric had promised her a romantic weekend away months ago and now finally they were going.

Eric's teaching schedule at the high school had been hectic all year and now that it was summer time and he had completed next year's curriculum the couple could finally get away.

"But Mama," Jeremy whined, as Donna lead him through the sliding glass door, "I wanna to go wis you!"

"I know, baby, but you'll have fun with Grandma Kitty and Grandpa Red. Mama and Daddy will be back before you know it," she soothed her son, running her fingers affectionately through his thick hair. Jeremy had inherited his mother's red hair and had his father's bright green eyes and seemed to have more of his father's tendencies as well.

Hyde was sitting at the kitchen table digging into a plate of waffles. "Hey," he said with his mouth full and he waved his fork at them.

"Hey, Hyde. What are you doing here? Where are Jackie and the kids?" Donna asked as she sat down at the table as well and pulled Jeremy into her lap.

Hyde took a drink of milk, "Jackie took Soph to ballet. The boys and the baby are running around here somewhere," he said glancing around.

At that moment Allie Hyde came barreling through the kitchen door, her dark hair was loose around her face and she still wore her princess crown. She immediately ran up to her father and pulled on his hand.

"Dada! Boys!" she cried, pointing at the door and her lips immediately went into a "Jackie pout". She stared at Hyde expectantly.

"Uh oh, what are they doing?" he asked his daughter.

But Allie didn't respond, she noticed Jeremy sitting in his mother's lap and squealed.

"Jer-mee!"

Jeremy smiled shyly at Allie.

"Why don't you go play with your cousin, sweetheart," Donna told Jeremy. He hesitated at first, he knew his family well but was a shy child who took a few minutes to warm back up to anyone other than his mother and father. However, Allie was not shy by any means and grabbed Jeremy's hand and pulled him behind her as they rushed back through the kitchen door.

Donna sighed and leaned back in her chair, "Man, I can't wait to get out of this place for awhile."

"Why? Everything okay?" Hyde asked as he took another bite of his waffles.

"No, everything is fine. It's just that Eric and I have both been working so much and I just need a break. Jeremy starts preschool in the fall and I'm stressed about how he is going to handle it. It'll be nice to not have to think about any of this stuff for a couple of days, you know?"

Hyde nodded, "He'll be fine, Sasha will be in the same class as him, right? At least he'll know somebody. Dylan is in the next class up so they'll be able to play together too."

Donna nodded, "True, I hope it helps," she rubbed her face, "I don't know how you do it, Hyde. You and Jackie handle four kids without breaking a sweat."

Hyde shrugged, "What can I say? We are good at everything."

Donna laughed and shook her head, "Especially good at breeding at least."

"What my woman wants she gets, I'm happy to oblige in the breeding process."

Donna wrinkled her nose at him, "Ewww, Hyde! I don't want to know about yours and Jackie's sex life."

Hyde just chuckled, "Speaking of sex life, where is Forman taking you?"

"First of all we aren't just going away for sex, you perv. Secondly… I don't know where he is taking me…" she said slowly.

This time Hyde burst out laughing, "Probably gonna drag you to some freaky ass Star Wars convention and ask you to dress like Princess Leia…again!"

Donna scowled, "Oh, one time!"

"Yeah, what was that for anyway? Your anniversary?"

"No…" she said with a glare, "Our honeymoon!"

Before Hyde could make another jab the man himself walked through the door. Eric Forman, dressed in slacks and a blazer, stepped through the sliding glass doorway into the Forman kitchen.

"Hi, honey," he said, kissing his wife as he dropped his briefcase onto the counter. "Hey Hyde, what are you doing here?"

"Eating," he said, "Jackie's cooking has gotten a little better, I've stopped worrying she's going to poison me accidentally, but I miss mom's cooking. Plus, I had to bring the kids over for a visit."

Eric nodded and turned back to Donna, "Where's Jeremy?"

"He took off with Allie, so she probably has him committing some crime by now," Donna said, raising an eyebrow at Hyde, who shrugged.

"So, is my lovely lady ready for a romantic weekend getaway?"

"Yeah, about that…" Donna said with a smile, "Where are you taking me?"

"Where am I taking you?" Eric repeated back with a giddy smile, "Where am I taking you?"

"Here it comes," Hyde said with a smirk as he took a gulp of milk. Donna shot him a glare.

"I am taking you to beautiful Lake Geneva for an all expenses paid weekend of rest and relaxation at the Grand Geneva Resort!" Eric said with a smile.

Donna's broke out in a huge smile, "Really, Eric?" She stood up and with an excited jump hugged him and gave him a kiss.

"Really," he said with a nod, "I have our whole weekend planned out, drinking champagne on the shore of the lake, room service, a romantic boat ride-"

"And now for the catch," interrupted Hyde and he grabbed his plate and walked to the sink.

Donna gave Hyde another glare but a look of apprehension crossed her face, "Is there a catch, Eric?"

Eric shifted slightly, "What? A catch? No! Of course not, well, I mean- well, there is just a little- little!- thing…"

Donna pulled away from her husband's embrace and crossed her arms, "Eric."

Eric became flustered and gave her a sheepish smile, "Well, it's not what you think, it's just that…"

"Spit it out, Forman!" jeered Hyde as leaned against the refrigerator.

"See, I sort of heard that it's one of Mark Hammil's favorite places to visit in the summer-"

Donna groaned and threw her hands up in the air, "Great, so you'll be spending all the time we could be having amazing sex, stalking Luke Skywalker!"

She huffed and pushed past Eric and stalked out of the kitchen.

"Honey? Baby? Where you going?" Eric asked feebly.

Hyde was smiling at Eric, "Well, look at it this way, Forman. If Donna's not giving you any, maybe you'll get lucky and Luke Skywalker will think you're cute."

"Shut up, Hyde."

UP NEXT: KELSO

_**AN: Holy crap what a weird chapter! Lol :D, okay let me know what you all think. BTW no disrespect to Star Wars with Hyde's last comment, I love Star Wars, it just sounds like something Hyde would say.**_


	4. Kelso

_**I'm nervous about writing from Kelso perspective but we'll give it a shot and see what happens! Please review!**_

XOXO 

_**BloodyLyra**_

Chapter Four: KELSO

At the same time that Hyde, Eric, and Donna were in the Forman's kitchen, Lieutenant Michael Kelso of the Point Place Police Department was arriving at Madame Posey's School of Ballet and Dance.

Well, more like, he was _running _into Madame Posey's School of Ballet and Dance.

Kelso, in full police officer garb, shot into the waiting area of the dance school and immediately ducked underneath the large picture window that faced the street, taking no notice of Jackie and Fez who were sitting in the room each with a magazine in their hands

Kelso peeked his face over the window ledge very slowly and then darted back down and giggled to himself.

Jackie looked to Fez and raised an eyebrow. Fez shrugged in response.

"Ahem, Michael?" Jackie ventured, putting down her magazine.

Startled, Kelso turned quickly from his crouched position on the floor to face them.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked, setting down he magazine.

"Jackie! Fez! What are you doing here?" he asked, dumbly.

"What do you mean 'what are we doing here?' The same thing we do every week, waiting for the girls to finish ballet class. What are you doing here? Where's Brooke? And why are you on the floor?" Jackie asked with a frown.

"Brooke and Sasha have the flu, so Brooke told me to pick Betsy up and bring her home after class."

Jackie nodded, "O-kay, that still doesn't explain why you are on the floor"

"Oh!" Kelso's face broke into his trademark grin, "That! Well… uh, you see, Jackie, ever since your husband agreed to go into business with Fez and I-"

"You mean since yesterday?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Well, if you wanna get all technical about it, Jackie!" Kelso said with a scowl, "I decided that I would make my last few weeks as one of Point Place's finest as memorable as possible-"

"Ai, no! What did you do, you big dum-dum?" Fez interrupted, a concerned look on his face. Knowing full well that "memorable" did not mean the same thing to Kelso as it did to everyone else.

Kelso straightened up and puffed his chest out proudly, "You, my lucky friends, are looking at the guy who just trenched the hell outta old man Shinsky's yard!" He threw out his arms as if expecting to receive his applause.

Jackie and Fez exchanged a silent look before they both burst out laughing.

Kelso dropped his arms and put them on his lips, "What's so funny? I'm gonna be a legend!"

Jackie caught her breath, "A legend, Michael? You only did something that Steven did in high school, every year… twice a year!"

"Oh, and don't forget, Jacqueline. Eric's moon-and-trench, well, mostly moon," Fez chuckled.

"Yeah, even Eric beat you to it, Michael!"

"Well, did either of them ever do it in a police car?!" Kelso yelled indignantly, over the renewed laughter.

The laughter stopped.

"Yeah, got you there didn't I, wise guys?" he smiled.

Jackie glanced out the window that Kelso was still standing in front of, "Your police car?"

Kelso grin broadened, "Yeah, see cause he can't do anything to a guy in a police car!"

"Michael, if you trenched his yard with your car… where is it?" Jackie asked, as if speaking to a small child.

"Where is what?"

"YOUR CAR!" Fez and Jackie both yelled.

"Oh!… oh…" horror began to dawn on Kelso's face, "I- uh- I left it at the scene of the crime!"

Fez peered over Kelso's shoulder and pointed into the parking lot, "Oh, that would explain why men with big sticks are coming this way."

Kelso whirled around to look out the window. Sure enough, two of his fellow officers were approaching the building. One was speaking into a walkie-talkie, they both had their billy clubs drawn, and matching grins of delight on their faces.

"Looks like you'll be turning over that badge a few weeks early, my friend," Fez said with a smirk.

"Hide me!" Kelso squeaked and dived under the nearest chair.

Neither Jackie nor Fez made any attempt to hide their moronic friend, they simply watched as the two officers came through the front door and immediately spotted Kelso cowering under the pink plastic chair.

One officer bent low and with a menacing smile said, "Hi there, _Lieutenant_."

Kelso peered through his fingers, "Uh, hi guys! What's going on?"

"You're going to have to come with us, _sir_," said the other, smacking the club lightly on his palm.

Jackie and Fez continued to watch as Kelso was pulled from underneath the chair and was being dragged away by his fellows.

"Simmons! I didn't mean it when I said your wife looked like a walrus! What I meant was she has hideously honkin' teeth and whiskers!" Kelso screeched to the officer on his left just as the door closed behind them.

Several hours later and a phone call to his now irate wife, Michael Kelso was sitting in a holding cell in the Point Place PD.

Suddenly, he heard keys jingling just outside the door that lead into the room and jumped to his feet.

"Okay guys, the joke's over! Let me out!"

But instead of someone coming to let Kelso out, an officer was bringing someone else in.

"Hyde?!"

Hyde just smirked at him as he was pushed into the cell with his childhood friend.

"W-what are you doing here?" Kelso asked as Hyde leaned against the bars.

Hyde shook his head, "I don't know how many times I have to prove to you guys that you just aren't as cool as I am. You called what you did to Shinsky's yard a "trench job"? Please, I could do better then you did on a Big Wheel. In fact, I did."

"You trenched Old Man Shinsky's yard on a Big Wheel?" Kelso said in awe.

Hyde gave him a scowl, "No, you idiot. But I did finish the job, rose bushes and all."

Kelso looked insulted and then giddy, "Wait a second, does Jackie know you did this? Oh man! She is gonna be so pissed when she finds out you're in jail!"

"Actually, she asked me to do it. See when my wife came home and told me that you got hauled away and why, she hinted that maybe I should show you how it's done. And I dunno about you but when my hot wife encourages me to commit a petty crime, like trenching an old man's yard," he shrugged, "who am I to deny her?"

Kelso started open mouthed, "Oh, that's a good burn!"

Hyde nodded, "Anyway, is Brooke coming to bail you out?"

Kelso looked sheepish, "No. She told me I had to stay the night here and then maybe she would consider letting me back in the house. Then she hung up before I could say anything else."

"Ouch."

"But at least I have my best buddy, Hyde here with me," he said with a smile and a friendly slap to Hyde's arm. "Hey! Wanna play charades?"

Before Hyde could answer the door opened once again and Jackie Hyde walked through the door with an accompanying officer.

"Your bail's all paid, baby. Let's go home," Jackie said to Hyde, giving him a "you are so foxy" look.

The officer opened the cell door.

"Sorry, Kelso but that's my cue," said Hyde with another smirk. He punched Kelso hard on the arm causing him to bend double. "So long, sucker!" he said in best Daffy imitation.

"Yeah well… you- you suck, Hyde!" Kelso yelled as the pair left the room and the officer locked the cell back up.

AN : Ha ha! That chapter was much more fun to write than I thought. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to capture Kelso's essence but I don't think I did too badly. Anyway, please review, it's great to hear from you all!


	5. Eric

_**The action of this chapter takes place about three weeks after the last chapter. **_

_**XOXO**_

_**BloodyLyra**_

Chapter Five: ERIC

"It's not fair, Donna!" Eric stated one day, as he got ready for work. He turned to his left to look at his wife. They were both standing in front of the long mirror in their bathroom. He was pulling irritably at his tie as Donna finished applying her make up.

"What's not fair, honey?" she asked, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

"It's not fair that Hyde, Kelso, and Fez get to go off and open a restaurant and have fun all day. And what do I get to do? Go and teach those rotten, spit-wad-tossing, smart-ass kids in a fluorescent hell. Honestly, Donna. We were not that bad when we were in high school!"

Donna blinked at him, "Are you serious? Maybe you don't remember high school the way I do. Besides, what's wrong with teaching? I thought you loved it? Isn't teaching the reason you left me for a year to go live in _Africa_?"

Eric grumbled, "Donna…"

She smiled wide and snuggled up to him, "I'm teasing you, Eric. In a way… I'm glad you went to Africa, you came back all… rugged."

"I did, didn't I?" he said arching an eyebrow at her before pulling her closer for a playful kiss.

"So what is it, exactly, that you are saying, Eric? Do you want to quit teaching?" Donna asked seriously.

He sighed as he combed his hair, "I don't know, Donna. I don't like being left out… again."

"Aww, Eric. I don't think they are trying to leave you out."

"Did you see which building they bought for the restaurant?" he asked quietly.

Donna shook her head, "I thought they were having a new one built."

"No, you know the old bank building?"

"Oh, the one on Franklin?" she asked.

"Yeah! They bought that one! Man, the three of them are going to be living it up with a gigantic place like that," he sighed. "I have restaurant experience, Donna! I was head-frickin'-waiter, but does that mean anything to the guys who are supposed to be my best friends? Noooooo!"

"Eric," Donna said, complacently, "did you ever think that maybe they didn't ask you to join this little venture because they think you like being a teacher? Because up until two minutes ago I thought you liked being a teacher."

"I do- I did. It's just come on gradually, I guess. I don't think I even knew it until three weeks ago, you know? Maybe I am tired of teaching. The whole reason it sounded so great in the first place was the whole 'those who don't know- teach' thing. That was a big motivator that, I might add, was perpetuated by the whole lot of you. And it was fine when we were trying to settle down but now…" Eric sighed again as he trailed off.

Donna nodded, "Right. So now the real question here is, do you want in?"

Eric looked up with a sort of pleading look on his face, "Would you still love me if I was one-fourth owner of a restaurant?"

She laughed and pulled him in for another hug, "Eric, I love you no matter what you want to be when you grow up."

They pulled away and Eric had a broad smile on his face, "How did I get so lucky?"

Donna shrugged, "I don't know, but you sure are." They kissed.

After the high school let out that day, Eric Forman marched to the currently-under-renovation restaurant site. He pushed his way through the heavy plastic that covered the front entrance and stomped straight up to Hyde and Kelso who were huddled around a plastic table, sifting through a pile of paper work and building plans.

"Now, don't we look cozy?" scowled Eric, looming over them the best he could, his hands stiffly to his sides.

The pair looked up.

Hyde was the first to speak, "Hey Forman, what's up?"

"What's up? _What's up_? I'll tell you what is 'up', Hyde. You- I- I mean… why don't _you_ tell me 'what is up'?!" Eric stammered.

Hyde and Kelso exchanged a knowing look, which only served to infuriate their friend more.

"Oh, what? What's that look for? Huh? Just 'cause the three of you are gonna be big, bad restaurant entrepreneurs, you think you are better than me?!" Eric yelled wildly, flailing his arms all around.

A suppressed chuckle.

"What was that, Hyde? Go ahead, say it! I know you are bursting! I know you are dying to just to throw it all out there! Tell me how much better you are than me! Tell me that the reason you guys haven't asked me to be part of your hoity-toity restaurant deal is because you don't think I'm cool enough!" He yelled sarcastically.

Eric was becoming more and more irrational by the second and his friends harder-pressed to keep the laughter inside.

"Doesn't matter to any of you that I am the one who gets left out _again_, does it? Doesn't matter if it's my family that has to scrape by on my measly teaching wages! No big deal that I have to sit back and put on the happy face while my family _starves_!" he roared.

That did it. Hyde and Kelso's trembling lips parted and both collapsed in fits of raucous laughter.

Eric, who was at this time, fully red in the face and wild-eyed, couldn't help it. He started laughing too. It was sometime before the three men got a hold of themselves and were able to speak without giggling.

"Oh man, Forman. Of all the outbursts I have seen over the years- and please remember who my wife is- that one just about makes you the King of Kings," stated Hyde, rubbing his streaming eyes.

Kelso's head shot up from where he had placed it on the table, "UH! Hyde!"

But both Hyde and Eric ignored him.

"So, what do you say, Hyde?" Eric asked finally.

Hyde paused to give him a critical once over, "There'll be some hard-labour, you know, getting this place together," he gestured to the ram-shackle mess inside the building, "so… you better ask Donna to help on weekends. She can do twice then work that any of us can."

Eric grinned and shook hands with his best friend and adopted brother, "You got yourself a deal."

"We knew you'd come around," Hyde turned to Kelso, "Who won?"

Eric watched, baffled, as Kelso pulled a sheet out from beneath the tottering pile and scanned it.

"Jackie H," he looked at the paper again, blinking rapidly as if to clear something from his eyes, "Jackie H? Do we know a Jackie H?"

Hyde crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow at Kelso, "Good God, man. You're right, take your crown back, King."

Kelso looked at Hyde with a bemused sort of smile but continued to stare at the piece of paper as if it would solve the mystery of 'Jackie H' for him.

"Wait, so you guys had a bet on when I would come and ask to be part of the restaurant deal?"

"Forman, are you new here? You know we always bet on a sure thing." Hyde said.

Eric nodded, "Fine, fine. So, what are we doing today, my esteemed colleagues?" His grin was wide as he pulled off his tie and threw it over his shoulder.

But Hyde's explanation of what they were doing was cut off by a dark-skinned foreigner appearing in their midst, looking frantic and babbling in an unintelligible language.

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down, little buddy," Kelso said, jumping up to attend to his frazzled companion, "What's going on?"

Fez took a deep breath, "Laurie!… Baby!… Right now!"

His three American friends stood staring at him.

"Get in the car, you sons of bitches! My wife is having a baby!"

This spurned them into action. Kelso toppled the table that held all the paperwork and Hyde frogged him all the way to Fez's car.

"Ow! OW! Watch my eye, Hyde!" Kelso shrieked as he climbed in the back seat.

Fez turned around from the driver's seat, "Stop it both of you! Jackie took Laurie to the hospital. I'm sure she's probably called Brooke, Donna, and the Forman's by now as well. Everyone have their seat belts on? - Alright, let's boogie!"

With a screech and the smell of burning rubber, Fez peeled out of the parking lot and barreled down the street toward Point Place General.

"By the way," Fez asked, "who won?" He tilted his head to Eric in the seat next to him.

"Jackie H," said Kelso, with a confused look.

"Ai, me. She's gonna be hard to live with after this," Fez stated miserably.

"Ha! You're telling me! I'm the one who has to live with her. She's won the last three bets in a row, man. This bet was supposed to be mine!"

"Yeah, well, maybe you dillhole's could have fixed the bet in your favour by asking me to ask for a job if you were so sure I was gonna ask anyway!" snarked Eric. "I know neither of you are above cheating."

"Oh yeah…" Hyde and Fez said together.

"Jackie H?" Kelso said again, clearly not listening to the conversation going on around him, "Oh! Jackie H! Jackie Hyde! I get it!" He turned to look at Hyde with a smile of understanding.

Hyde shook his head and sighed.

"Long live the King," chorused all three of his friends.

UP NEXT: JACKIE 

AN: Was this chapter too incredibly cheesy? Ugh, I'm afraid it might have been. I just want a happy ending, dammit!  Well, please review, I love to hear from you guys!


	6. Jackie

_**Sorry for the delay, everyone. Unfortunately, I had to wait for a new laptop to be dispatched as my previous one fried. But I am making it worth your while as this chapter is the longest I think I have ever written and it is chock-a-block full of J/H goodness! It includes the flashback to what happened betwen Jackie and Hyde the day Laurie had Erin**_

_**I have had several requests for this story to be lengthened and while at first it seemed like good idea, I must confess that it's not likely. **_

_**However, because I do have other story lines I wish to explore in this particular universe I will eventually be posting a sequel instead of lengthening this particular story. Be on the look out for the sequel but I can't give an exact time of when it will be out because to be honest I am getting burnt out on T7S stories and need a respite. i'd say maybe in about two or three months. **_

_**I want to thank everyone that has reviewed this story and added it to their favourites list. **_

_**So without further ado, here is the final chapter of "Never Tear Us Apart"!**_

_**XOXO  
**_

_**BloodyLyra**_

Chapter Six: JACKIE

It had become, in the past fifteen years or so, quite common for Point Place General Hospital to tend to the progeny, and indeed the progeny of the progeny, of staff member Nurse Kitty Forman over and over… and over.

When Kitty Forman's extensive brood of natural, adopted, and otherwise, acquired children were younger the visits to PP General more often than not consisted of plights ranging in varying degrees. Bumps, bruises, stomach pumping for junk food overdoses, broken bones, concussions, appendicitis, marbles up the nose, stitches, sprains, bites, super glue removal, and countless other ailments that the staff of PP General would rather not remember.

But now that the Kitty Forman's kids were older, the number one reason for seeing any of them in the hospital was for childbirth. With the exception of Michael Kelso, the hospital rarely saw any of them for any other reason but today was one of those days. Nurse Forman's daughter Laurie, whose last name was unpronouncable, was brought into PP General in the late afternoon of August 30th soon to give birth to her second child. She had arrived with two other frequenters of the hospital's maternity ward Jackie Hyde and Brooke Kelso.



Jackie and Brooke and their kids had been visiting Fez and Laurie when she began to feel strong contractions. Fez was no help as hopped around them nervously while they gathered Laurie's overnight bag and the diaper bag so Jackie had sent Fez to go and fetch Hyde, Eric, and Kelso while she and Brooke brought Laurie to the hospital.

Jackie called the radio station as soon as they had arrived and Donna made the trip in five minutes flat. While she, Brooke, and Mrs Forman were in the labour room with Laurie, Jackie had volunteered to keep an eye out for the guys. She passed Red Forman and Bob Pinciotti on the way out, they were both hindered in their arrival by the presence of no less than eight children who were all trailing behind them, except for Allie who was fast asleep in her stroller.

Jackie gave them an update on Laurie's condition. She was currently dilated to six centimeters, both she and the baby were in great shape, and it appeared this was going to be a rather quick labour for Laurie if things continued as they were. Both men shivered in digust at the thought of childbirth and had opted to wait it out in the cafeteria with kids.

"Come on, kids! Grandpa Red will get you all hopped up on sugar and then give you back to your fathers," Red announced as he gave Jackie a knowing look, "Payback. It'll never get old!"

After they had disappeared down the hall, Jackie stared out the glass doors and allowed her mind to wander as she waited. She remembered the last time the whole gang had been in a situation similiar to the one they would be in today.

BEGIN FLASHBACK

_25th December 1980 - Point Place General Hospital_

The waiting room of the hospital had been decorated in garish green and red streamers, a large Christmas tree set in one corner had been decorated by the children's ward, and paper cutouts of Santa Clauses, elves, reindeer, and snowflakes were intermintently placed on the walls. All in all it was a cheery enough place for the staff to spend time on Christmas Day.

The room was rather empty except for a small group of people who had arrived early that morning when one of their number was admitted into the maternity ward, preparing to give birth to her first child. Their holiday festivties having been interrupted, they all lounged impatiently on the chairs, the festiveness of the decorations doing nothing for their moods.

"Leave it to my stupid sister to give birth on Christmas morning," whined Eric, "I was hoping that finally this year I'd get a working Evel Knievel stunt cycle and now I have to wait another day to find out!"

"Shut up, Eric," his five companions chorused back. He scowled in reply.



"Man, I wonder how Fez is going to handle seeing his kid being born!" Kelso said excitedly, "All that blood and slime, and then the actual baby looks like some kind of alien/lizard thing. I almost threw up when Betsy was born."

Brooke shot him a dirty look, "You did throw up, Michael."

Kelso pondered this for a moment, "You're right, I did! Well, come on, baby, you didn't see what I saw." He shivered and then double over in his seat as his fiancee elbowed him in the stomach.

Eric smirked at Kelso and turned to Donna, "Don't worry, Donna. When you and I have kids I promise I won't throw up. I'll hold your hand and tell you how beautiful you are." He put an arm around the red headed woman sitting next to him. "You're beautiful."

"Oh hey, Donna, does that mean you're actually having sex with him again," Hyde interrupted, from across the room, "Or are you still punishing him for running off to Africa for a year?"

Donna raised an eyebrow and smiled warmly at Eric, "Care to answer the question, _darling_."

Eric looked sheepish, "Shut up, Hyde. She's wearing my engagement ring isn't she?"

Hyde shrugged, "Doesn't mean she's giving you any."

"Well, you'd know all about not getting any, Hyde!" Eric retorted.

Hyde scoffed, "That the best you can do, Forman? You really think that I go without?"

A soft cough came from the chair on Donna's right.

"Something you wanna say, Jackie?" Hyde challenged.

The brunette, who up until the time they all arrived in the waiting room had been completely silent, said, "I'm not saying anything."

"Whatever."

"Yep. Whatever." Jackie agreed.

Donna sighed, "Please, don't start again, you two. You both need to just get over your drama."

"What drama, Donna? Oh, you mean the "dumping-your-beautiful-girlfriend-to-marry-a-skanky-stripper-and-spending-a-year-looking-like-a-redneck-hick-loser" drama?" Jackie asked sweetly.

"No, I think she means the "selfish-bossy-demanding-desperate-to-marry-any-guy-who-comes-her-way-because-no-one-loves-her" drama," Hyde said with a scowl.

If there was ever a doubt in anyone's mind that Jackie had ever gotten over what Hyde did to her, what happened next would have quashed those doubts.

Eyes glittering with unshed tears, Jackie leapt to her feet and crossed the short distance between herself and the offending burn out and smacked him as hard as she could across his face. The other four watched, dumbfounded, as the petite brunette then stalked off across the waiting room and disappeared down the hall.

"Wow," Eric was the first to break the silence, "When you said things had gotten bad, Donna, I didn't think they were this bad... and on Christmas!"

No one else said anything, they just watched as Hyde sat exactly where he had been, a red mark now across his face but otherwise betraying no emotion to the others. After several long moments, Hyde shifted in his seat and then got up, following the way Jackie had gone.

"Think they'll ever realize it?" Brooke asked Donna.

"No." Eric said.

"Nope. Definitely not," agreed Kelso.

Donna just shook her head at them, "I certainly hope so."

After ten minutes of looking, Hyde was about to give up finding Jackie when he heard sniffling coming from a room on his right:

LAUNDRY

Pausing for a minute Hyde pressed his ear to the door. Jackie was definitely in there and she was definitely crying. Hyde groaned inwardly. He could never handle Jackie crying. Not because it annoyed him, but because every time he had seen her cry it was either because of something he couldn't fix for her or because _he_ had done or said something stupid. Shaking off the desire to just walk away, Hyde pushed open the door.

"Jackie."

Jackie gave no indication that she heard him. She was sitting on top of a dryer, her knees pulled up and her head down, her shoulder shaking ever so slightly.

It was such a pitiful sight and as always Hyde felt singularly responsible, because he knew that he was. Only he could ever cause the princess of Point Place to find solace in a hospital 

laundry room.

"Look, Jackie-" he began.

"Just- don't, Steven. Don't even say it," Jackie's voice was muffled as she spoke to her knees.

"Don't what, Jackie?" Hyde asked irritably, "How do you know what I was going to say, you didn't let me finish my sentence!"

He already knew this was not going to go well, but he also knew that this would never be resolved unless they tore open these old wounds and properly dealt with them and it was obviously time.

It was no secret Hyde was afraid of two things: any type of commitment and any type of emotion.

However, one fear that even he had much more difficulty admitting, was his absolute fear of Jackie. His fear of what she made him do and think and feel. But again, no one knew that... not even Jackie herself.

"Because I already know what you are going to say!" she said, lifting her head up and staring at him with red-rimmed eyes, "'I'm sorry, Jackie.' But what has saying sorry ever done for us? Nothing."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked defensively. He'd apologized enough to her in their time together to felt properly offended that she seemed to think apologies didn't matter.

"It means that every time one of us screws up we think saying 'I'm sorry' is going to fix it. And yes, I mean both of us. I admit it, Steven. I've done it too. But just saying sorry has never fixed any of our problems. You and I-" she gasped a little as a fresh onslaught of tears tore through her, "we have deeper problems because of our childhood experiences and we've never faced those."

"Well, alright, Doctor. I see that community college classes have made you an expert. If that's where our problems come from then what do you recommend we do next, therapy?" Hyde said sarcastically.

Jackie pounded a fist against the dryer, a loud metal bang resounded in the small space, "Don't make fun of me, Steven! Don't you dare! You know it's true. You know that's why we always fight and why I push for things and you pull away. It's all we know how to do! It doesn't take a psychology class to figure it out!" She dropped her eyes and swiped at a tear, "I'm only sorry I couldn't figure it out on my own!"

Hyde sighed, not wishing to concede to her claims but knowing that she was right, "I don't 

know what you want me to say."

Jackie scoffed and shook her head, "Of course you don't and that's the problem. I can't tell you what to say anymore, Steven. You have to figure that out for yourself… Well, no. You know what? I can't ask you to do that because this isn't a conversation we should be having. This is a conversation we should have had, a long time ago when it might have made a difference."

Hyde dropped onto a sealed barrel, "Might have?"

"Yes, Steven. Might have. Before we got into this mess that made us hate each other." Jackie said bitterly.

"So... you hate me?" he asked feeling a twinge in his chest that was painful.

Jackie was silent.

"Is that a no?"

"No."

"Then it's a yes."

"No."

Hyde groaned and had to fight the urge to bang his head on the wall behind him, "Knock it off, Jackie. Everything doesn't have to turn into some fucked up mind game, you know."

Jackie tensed up. Hyde always had a knack for accusing her of the worst sort of things she could imagine but this time she wouldn't rise to the bait.

She dropped her head to her knees again, "Whatever, Steven."

"Whatever?" he asked in a half bemused, half angry voice.

"Yes 'whatever', you say it enough. I'd thought you might recognize what it means."

"Jackie-"

She shook her head violently, "Steven, please. It doesn't matter anymore. These things happened for a reason maybe. It is over between us, believe me I know that. I'm not trying to lure you in with 'game playing'. I just... forget it..." she whispered.

Unable to hear the painfully accurate assessment any longer, Hyde stood up and turned towards the door. Everything she had hurled at him in the last five minutes stung him to the core and now he wasn't sure that, despite her own admission to the contrary, if it was really 

over for him. However, she was clear in her meaning and she was done with him. Now the only thing he could think of now was getting as far away from her as possible before she threw more terrible truths his way.

As he put his hand on the handle he heard another gasping breath from the woman behind him and it broke his heart all over again.

"Just answer one question. If it doesn't matter then why are you crying?" he directed his question at her but it was said to the door.

She was silent for a moment.

"Because it still hurts," Jackie said quietly and brokenly.

Hyde turned back around, the pain in her voice making him feel guilty and angry at the same time.

"Do you hate me, Steven?" she asked softly, not looking at him.

"No." His chest clenched painfully, he could not allow her to think that he ever, at anytime, felt hate for her.

"I don't hate you either."

"Jackie, I am sorry, I really am," he said, "I just don't know what else I can say."

Jackie nodded and tried to give him a brave smile, "I know I believe you. I know you don't think that bad of me… I accept your apology, but it doesn't change anything."

"What's it supposed to change, Jackie? Please tell me." Hyde asked almost desperately, crossing his arms.

She looked somewhat taken aback and even a little confused, "Well, I- I don't know... nothing I guess…"

She slid down off the dryer and crossed the small space towards where he stood by the door, "Steven, I didn't mean what I said earlier. Well, the "marrying-a-skanky-stripper" part, I did. But I don't think you are a redneck-hick-loser. Let's just forget about it okay?"

She stepped around him and went to grab the doorknob but Hyde got there first.

"What are you doing?" Jackie asked, looking up into the face of the only man she ever truly loved with all her heart and soul. She felt confused, she had finally swallowed down her sorrow and told him that she would let it go and be done with this.

What was he doing now?

Hyde didn't say anything, he didn't know what compelled him to hold the door closed. Jackie had conceded, she wasn't putting up a fight and she wasn't yelling and screaming at him for abandoning her the way everyone else in her life had. Everything else he had expected her to do or say had not happened. But she had anticipated what he had come to say, she knew he would apologize and she knew that he hadn't meant any of the horrible things he said.

What did that mean?

He felt that it meant something but couldn't figure it out. Could it be that after all this time, she still knew him better than he knew her? Maybe that was what held her together through the whole Sam experience. Maybe, because Jackie knew him so well she could see through him. She could see that he wasn't in love with Sam, that he wasn't invested in his "marriage", and she could even see through his scathing remarks and hateful attitude towards her.

Suddenly, as if someone flipped a switch, he knew what it meant. What it all meant.

"Steven."

Distantly he heard Jackie saying his name, "Steven? Are you alright?"

Hyde blinked down at her, "No."

"Well, what's wrong? Do you need me to get someone?" Jackie asked taking a step back, the better to look at him.

He shook his head.

"O-kay, well, then can I go now?" she asked.

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'? Let me out of here right now, Steven Hyde-" Jackie was saying indignantly before she was cut off by Hyde's lips over her own. She gave a muffled "mmm!" of surprise as she was pulled into his arms.

Jackie's mind raced as Hyde pulled her as close to his body as he could.

A million fears and questions ran through her brain but she managed to quash them down and she tentatively responded to the kiss, pulling her arms from her sides and wrapping them around Hyde's neck. She could have wept for the familiarity of the gesture. Wrapped tightly in Steven Hyde's arms was, in her opinion, the best and safest place to be. He may have not said that he loved her often enough for her liking when they were together, but when he held her, as he was now, she never felt reason to doubt that he did.

She felt a twinge in her heart, reminding her that this was a different case. They were not together. They hadn't been in over a year. He had chosen a stripper over her. She felt compelled to pull back and get out of there while she still had a modicum of control over her emotions but something told her to stay and see how this played out. The part of her that had always been so intuitive when it came to Steven told her to just wait and listen.

For once in her life Jackie Burkhart was going to let someone else do the talking.

Hyde pulled away from Jackie's lips reluctantly and rested his forehead against hers. He had not forgotten how good it felt to kiss Jackie and he missed it more than he cared to admit. Only he could fix this now, it had always been up to him. Jackie had fought long and hard, now it was his turn.

She was studying his face and not for the first time did he get the impression that she knew what he was thinking. So far she hadn't said anything, she didn't yell at him for kissing her nor had she begun to question his motives. She simply looked at him, waiting for his own explanation without her prompting.

"Let's sit down," he said quietly, gesturing back to the dryer she had previously occupied.

She nodded and allowed him to hold her hand and lead her back to the dryer.

They perched side by side on the machine, their backs against the wall neither saying anything. It had been almost ten minutes and Hyde still had not said anything, he just held her hand and had lain his head against hers. As good as it felt to be with him like this again, Jackie was having a hard time keeping quiet. But she knew that if she wanted the chance to win back the man she loved she would do well to fight against her instincts and wait.

"I'm sorry," it was spoken so quietly that if Jackie had been paying less attention she would have missed it. The next bit was louder, "And I know you said it doesn't change anything, but I want it to."

Jackie shifted a little but said nothing.

"I'm not just sorry for what I said. I'm sorry that I didn't realize it sooner."

"Realize what?" Jackie asked softly, mesmerized by the circles he was tracing lazily on the back of her hand.

"That just because we always seem to do the most we can to hurt each other, doesn't mean that we are wrong for each other."

"Did you believe that?" she asked.

"Yes… but now it seems like I should have seen all along that what we were doing wasn't 

trying to hurt each other. Not really."

"What were we doing?" 

"Like you said, what we were taught to do. I didn't fight against it and I know that you tried but… and I know it's my fault, you started to give up changing things because I was such a stubborn ass."

She didn't refute his claim and she also said nothing else, so he gathered what little courage he had and divulged his greatest fear.

"I thought that if we kept going like we were that we would just spend the rest of our lives making each other miserable."

Jackie bit her lip as tears sprang to her eyes. She never in a million years would have wanted to make Hyde miserable. She always believed that everything she did for him was to make him happy and to make him feel loved and wanted.

"Is that why you-" she couldn't finish the question.

"No."

"Then why?"

They still were sitting close, with their heads together and their hands clasped, but they had yet to look into each others eyes. Hyde didn't need to look at Jackie to know what she was feeling. He could feel the wetness of her tears on his shoulder and the slight tremble of her body that told him she was hurting and afraid. He squeezed her hand tightly, hoping he could convey some comfort as they got through this.

"When you asked me to choose, I won't lie, I was angry. I felt like you were forcing me to leave behind the life I had finally felt comfortable in. I became a second son to the Forman's, I had my real dad, a good job, and- I had you. It all felt good… life felt right and I didn't want to lose it."

Jackie didn't know what to say to that. She hadn't realized that maybe Hyde felt like she was trying to pluck him out of the safety and comfort of the only stable family unit he had ever had and make him choose between everything he had come to enjoy about his life.

"I know now that isn't what you were asking me to do. I know you wouldn't have. And by the time I started figuring it out I was at your hotel room door..." He stopped, the memory of it was painful and he had promised himself he would never relive it in his mind again, but now he had to. Hopefully for the last time.

"I was already mad that you had left without letting me give you an answer. I know I was wrong about what I saw. I blamed you for leaving when I should have been blaming 

myself. And finding Kelso there, it seemed like the perfect excuse to take the focus off what I did wrong."

Jackie's tears poured faster but she remained silent.

"I don't think I need to remind you what happened next," he said after a moment. "I really have no excuse, Jackie. I don't know what to say to fix this." He sounded anguished, a note of hopelessness in his voice. "I know I should have sent her away... no, I know I should have told you my decision earlier before you even left. I never realized up until ten minutes ago that it has always been my decisions that held us back. You tried and I didn't, you fought and I didn't."

Jackie shifted, pulling her hand out of his and for the briefest of moments Hyde was afraid she was going to leave. But instead she looked him in the eyes for the first time since he began spilling what was on his mind.

"What's your decision now, Steven?" Jackie asked quietly.

Hyde was in awe of the fact, that despite everything that had happened and everything they had put each other through, that the love in Jackie's eyes, the love she had for _him,_ was still there, undimmed and staring him right in the face.

This was it, now or never.

"I want to fight." he said.

Jackie let out a sob and smiled radiantly. She pulled him in for a kiss. Hyde responded eagerly, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. He had been granted one final chance and he'd be damned if he screwed this one up.

"I love you so much, Steven," Jackie whispered against his lips, tears falling down her cheeks.

"I love you, doll," Hyde whispered back, not a moment's hesitation holding him back. He held onto her like a lifeline. He loved this woman and he silently vowed to not let another day go by where she didn't know just how much.

--

"What do you think is taking them so long?" Brooke was asking Donna. Jackie and Hyde had been gone for nearly two hours and Brooke was beginning to worry that they had killed each other.

"I don't want to know," Donna smirked. Eric and Kelso had both fallen asleep. Eric curled in his chair, muttering slightly and Kelso, his head hanging and his mouth open.



"Do you really think they would?" Brooke asked, her eyes open wide. "In a hospital?"

"Believe me, Brooke. There is hardly a place in the world Jackie and Hyde _wouldn't_," Donna said knowingly.

"Ew. Well, just this once I hope you are right," Brooke said primly, "I don't know how much longer I can stand the tension. I keep waiting for one of them to burst into flames."

"What do you mean 'ew'? You conceived your child in a public restroom at a Molly Hatchet concert!" Donna laughed.

Brooke blushed and whispered harshly, "I was drunk."

"And yet, here you are, sober as a judge and you're still with Kelso."

Brooke looked fondly at her boyfriend, "I know. He's just so adorable."

Donna rolled her eyes.

Just then the door to the maternity ward burst open and Fez, dressed in greens, bounded in.

Eric and Kelso were startled out of their naps by the banging of the doors.

"It's a girl! We named her Erin Elizabeth-" An announcement page for a doctor came over the speakers just as Fez was saying his last name. He didn't seem to notice and just smiled at his friends.

"That's great! Congratulations, Fezzie!"

They all turned toward the voice and saw Jackie and Hyde walking toward them, hand in hand. No one said anything but every one of their mouths fell open.

"Yeah, congratulations, man. So tell us, does it look like an alien?" Hyde asked, patting Fez on the back.

"Huh?" Fez asked, his eyes still on Jackie and Hyde's entwined fingers, "Oh, yes, very red and wrinkly. Lots of blood and slime too."

"Alright!" cheered Kelso, "Did you puke?"

Fez sighed and nodded, "Unforutnately, yes. Poor Miss Kitty's shoes..."

"Whoo hoo!" said Kelso, earning him another elbow from Brooke.

"So who won the bet?" Hyde asked.



"Girl. Six pounds, seven ounces. December 25th 1980." Fez recited, as Kelso pulled a piece of paper and wad of cash out of his pocket.

"Hmm, let's see. And the winner is... Jackie. 'Girl. Six pounds, seven ounces. December 25th 1980'... Damn, Jackie! You got it exactly!" Kelso said, a look of surprise on his face.

Jackie smiled and shrugged, "Which means you all owe me ten dollars extra for a trifecta of perfection. Thank you." She grabbed the money out of Kelso's hand.

Hyde smirked, "That's my girl." He kissed Jackie. The rest of the gang looked mutinous.

"Well, we're going to run up to the cafeteria and get some sodas. We'll bring you guys something back. Tell Laurie I said 'Congratulations' Fezzie and I get to hold the baby first since I won the bet," Jackie said as she and Hyde turned to go.

When the pair was a short distance away, Fez leaned in and whispered, "So who won that one?"

Kelso pulled a piece of paper and wad of cash out of his other pocket and spread it on the small table between the chairs for everyone to see.

"Did I win?" Fez asked excitedly.

"Sorry, Fez. Off by like three years. Donna, you had next month. Eric, no. Me, no. Brooke, no. Jackie... wait a minute!" Kelso exclaimed indignantly.

"I believe that's mine," said a voice and a small hand reached into their tight knit group and snatched the wad of cash off of the table, "Thanks for playing."

The group watched with open mouths as Jackie walked back down the hall towards Hyde who was laughing. He shrugged at them and wrapped his arm around Jackie's shoulders, giving her a kiss as they walked away laughing.

The gang all looked back at the paper where they had recorded their bets on when Jackie and Hyde would get back together:

_Jackie- December 25th, 1980_

"You know, I think she really might be the devil," Eric confessed.

END FLASHBACK

Jackie smiled serenely at the memory. It was nothing short of amazing how everything had worked out. Sometimes she couldn't believe it had all actually happened the way that it had. She smirked again to herself remembering that when she relayed the exchange 

between herself and Hyde in the laundry room to Donna that she had left out one very important puzzle piece. It was in that laundry room, that very day that they had conceived their daughter Sophie.

A car approaching the parking lot at a high speed shook Jackie out of her reminiscence. Fez's car screeched to a halt in a parking space and all four doors flew open, spilling the passengers out onto the pavement.

Jackie laughed as she watched their approach. Fez blew past her, remaining in the doorway long enough for her to give him Laurie's room number. Eric came next and then her husband who was frogging Kelso as hard as he could.

"Ow! OW! OW! Damn, Hyde, I said I was sorry!" Kelso was yelling as they came through the door.

"Next time, I get shotgun, Forman!" Hyde yelled pointing at Eric, "Then he can nearly set your 'nads on fire!"

Kelso skulked off to the waiting area where Eric had been joined by Donna and Brooke.

Jackie grinned at Hyde, "Problems, baby?"

Hyde put an arm around her and pushed her against the wall she was leaning against so he could kiss her.

"Nah, I just had to remind Kelso why we don't let him have matches," he said when they broke apart. He looked around, "Where are the kids?"

"With Red and Bob in the cafeteria, we shouldn't be here to long, Laurie was progressing really quickly."

"Not long, huh? Well then I think you and I better hurry off to our special spot," he said, raising his eyebrows.

Jackie giggled, "You're bad, Steven Hyde."

"And you like it," he growled, pushing his pelvis against her. Jackie felt her face get hot.

"Okay, let's go!" she said urgently, grabbing his hand and pulling him down the hall.

But just then Fez ran back out of the ward, looking slightly dizzy and out of breath. They stopped for a moment to hear the announcement.

"I just barely made it! I walked in and the baby practically shot across the room at me... like a cannon!" he sank into a chair.



Everyone gathered around congratulating their foreign friend on the newest member of their family.

"Liam Jonah. Eight pounds, ten ounces. August 30th 1988," Fez said, motioning to Kelso.

"Lemme see..." Kelso said, scanning the folded piece of paper, "And we have... Dammit! Not again!"

_Jackie- Boy. 8lbs 10oz. August 30th 1988._

"How does she do that?" Donna whispered, her eyes narrowed.

"I told you, Donna. She is the devil, she knows things."

"Not going to gloat, Jackie? Jackie?" Kelso said, "Hey. Where'd Jackie and Hyde go?"

The rest of the gang looked around and saw that Hyde and Jackie had indeed disappeared.

Donna smiled evilly. Jackie had not divulged the full story of the day eight years ago when she and Hyde had gotten back together. However, she knew her best friend well enough to figure out just what had happened in that laundry room and the result of that day.

"Hey guys," the redhead addressed her friends, "I got a bet for you. How much do you wanna bet that Jackie's pregnant by the time they get back?"

THE END!

_**And that's it! My brainchild has come to a close and I could not be prouder of it. I had some bumps along the way but I had a great time with this story. Again for those of you who wanted a longer story keep an eye out for a sequel which will likely deal with the opening of the restaurant and some new faces! Contact me with any ideas or storylines you would like to see continued. Thank you all for reading and don't forget to review!**_

_**XOXO**_

_**BloodyLyra**_


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